Chapter 7 Rhyme!?
Stop it…!
"Kyah!"
"Ah…!"
…Oh no.
Now I've done it.
I swing at the woman's hand reflectively.
"Owwww…" The woman cried holding her hand.
"Hey, what are you doing!? That was rude!" The other woman yells at me in anger.
"…Sorry." I apologized already feeling sorry for what I did.
"You hurt my friend, do you think a 'sorry' going to fix it!?"
"Hey hey hey, wait a second. I'll apologize for her. I'm sorry? Like this." Koujaku enters between me and the women and tightly clenches the hand of the woman whom I swung at.
"But…!"
"Actually, this girl hasn't really hung out with other women that much. So when she's around pretty girls like you ladies, she doesn't know what to do, right?" Koujaku looks at me like he's demanding an agreement. His eyes tell me to play along. "Could you have mercy and forgive me?"
"Well, if that's the case…" The woman how I swung at mumbled.
"That's right…"
The women look at me with eyes full of pity.
…Why the hell would I need your pity? It was a little irritating, but frankly, it saved me. Or like… just now I was saved by Koujaku. Because he knows the thing I hate the most is having other people touching my hair. When Koujaku catches my gaze, he smiles.
"What, what's the matter? Admiring my manliness?"
"Shut up, you hippo." I glared at him.
"Hey! Why are you calling Koujaku-san a hippo!?" Woman number one snaps.
I convey thanks to Koujaku by flashing a smile as I criticize his joke. Koujaku returns only a silent wink, saying that he understands. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it actually gets to me a little…
"Well then, I'm going." I said with a nod.
"Right. Be careful."
I part with Koujaku while waving slightly, and begin to walk again. The delivery destination was close when I turned left at the road and headed straight. As I turn a corner, I see a man crouching down by the roadside. He whispers something, but I don't understand the contents well.
These days, you could see people doing this pretty often. Sitting down on the ground and looking at the sky, muttering to themselves against the wall like that. People like this have always existed, but it feels like more of them have been showing up lately.
Well, as long as you stay away from them.
I quickly pass by the whispering man.
In the alley of this neighborhood, the road was smaller than it used to be. No sunshine came through, so it was very humid. It also had many restaurants: fragrant smells and smoke drifted around constantly.
"I'm feeling kinda hungry now." I said to myself.
"If that feeling is neglected, a stomach ache by hyperacidity will occur in about one hour." Ren informed me.
"What for? Is there something wrong with my stomach?"
"Yesterday's meal influenced it. There is also a slight influence of sleep deprivation as well."
"Aah, Yoshie-san's…" If I remember correctly, it was after the time when I was on a delivery to the courier. That cake with a huge amount of whipped cream… "…Hm?" I feel something strange and stop. It feels like someone was just staring at me… But I don't see anyone particularly suspicious.
…Must've been my imagination.
"! Aoba!"
"Eh?...nh!?"
Suddenly, I feel a sensation similar to losing my footing on a set of stairs. Everything that reflected in my eyes stopped moving and drifted to my step with a great speed just after that.
"Ow…" In the confusing situation, a sharp headache runs through my head and I scowl. "Wh…at…!?" My thoughts become muddy like turbid water, and my hands and feet turn numb. After feeling a strange sense that torments my whole body, a view opens out before my eyes. "…!? What is this place…?"
It's…
It's almost like I've been sucked into a game. The wire-frame floor emits light and continues on forever.
Rhyme Field Now Activated…
"Rhyme… That kind of Rhyme!?" I said in shock after hearing a robotic voice echoing out. As I continue to look around, the space before me shines pale blue. The shape of a person begins to form, starting from their feet. The sight of the person that forms in front of me almost causes me to fall backwards. "Ren!?"
"Aoba, are you okay?"
"What, what just happened? And why do you look like that?"
"It seems that Allmates are reflected in their online mode here." Ren says.
"Isn't online mode used mainly in Rhyme? I've only seen you in that form on the setting screen." I said. "And the announcement earlier said something about Rhyme…"
"Looks like it. Only, our present location is the same as before coming here." Ren said "Aoba!"
"Gah!"
Ren pushes me away and I roll onto the floor while a fierce wind goes over my head.
"What was that…!?" I began to say in shock.
"Aoba, this is a public Rhyme field. It seems we were forcibly dragged into Rhyme." Ren informed me.
"What!? Is that even…"
"Aoba, something's coming."
I follow Ren's line of sight and what I see shocks me. A rabbit's head.
…A person waring a rabbit head stands there.
"Does this mean Rhyme started already…?" I question.
"…This time… This time, it is such an honor. So let'sHAVEA FUN GAME SHALL WE?"
"Aoba, it coming."
"Coming!?" I gasped "What should I…" Next thing I know there were tones of rabbits surrounding us, with red boxing gloves on their hands while one of them wore a black and green shirt with a head mic.
"DEATH set!" The green shirt rabbit said.
"Roger!" The rabbits all yelled out and charged at us.
"Eh!? Aaaah…!" I jumped to the side barely managing avoiding being hit. "That was dangerous! Hey, wait a minute!" I yelled at the rabbit head person "I want nothing to do with Rhyme! Cut it out!"
"Rhyme name, Sly Blue." The rabbit masked guy said.
"Wha?"
"Seragaki Aoba."
"Why do you know my name…? And what's this Sly thing?" I demanded.
"Fight."
"I've never done Rhyme before!"
"Fight."
"But I said I've never done this before…!" I yelled at him.
"…Fight."
The rabbits charged at us again, and again I barely manage to avoid them. "It's useless, he won't listen! Let's run!" I said taking off in a mad dash as Ren followed me "Ren, can't we do something!? Is there a way to get out of here or something?"
"I tried, but the logout function itself seems to have been disabled." Ren told me much to my horror.
"Seriously, what's up with this Rhyme!?" I said "Uah! Ouuch…!" I rubbed the area where I have gotten hit by those damn rabbits. Man they can pack a punch.
"Aoba, are you all right?"
"…It hurts pretty badly." I told him.
"Rhyme doesn't inflict damage on the real body. It is all an illusion in the brain. It is controlled so that it does not cause any further influence." Ren explained to me. "But in this field, the control of the damage level seems to be excluded for some reason."
"Meaning…?"
"When taking damage here, some influences may be exerted on the real body."
"Then isn't this the worst case scenario…!?" I yelled in shock and anger.
"You can't get away."
When I look up, a rabbit peeps at me from a block nearby.
"LOSS' set!" The green shirt rabbit said.
"Roger!"
Crap…!
